The present invention relates to a lower rack for a domestic dishwasher having a lower-rack raising means and to a domestic dishwasher comprising the lower rack.
Domestic dishwashers have functional units that are provided on the container bottom of the washing container of the respective domestic dishwasher and at certain intervals have to be inspected, maintained or, if required, repaired. For example, a reservoir provided for the purpose regularly has to be refilled with regenerating salt; sieves and/or spraying devices, in particular spray arms, have to be cleaned and much repair work requires access to the container bottom of the washing container.
Conventional domestic dishwashers have lower racks positioned on rollers that are easy to remove from the washing container as required, thus unblocking access to the container bottom of the washing container.
However, various sliding/pivoting mechanisms for raising the lower rack from a lower position inside the washing container into an upper position outside the washing container for ease of loading are also known from the prior art.
Published document DE 10 2012 107 993 A1 discloses a sliding/pivoting mechanism of a shelf of a furniture item or of a domestic appliance for extending and raising the shelf out of a carcass of the furniture item or of the domestic appliance. It has at least two pivoting arms arranged so as to be rotatably fixed to at least one of the side walls of the carcass, with a first end parallel to the plane of the side walls, and spaced apart parallel to each other, it being possible for a guide rail to be fixed pivotably to respective second ends of the pivoting arms parallel to the plane of the side walls in such a way that said guide rail can be pivoted from a lower position inside the carcass into a raised, upper position at least partially outside the carcass. At least one linearly displaceable roller rail to which the shelf is fastened is arranged in the guide rail. The sliding/pivoting mechanism has a stopping mechanism arranged on the guide rail and on one of the pivoting arms in order to prevent a simultaneous pivoting and sliding movement of the roller rail.
Published document DE 20 2009 004 771 U1 discloses a device for adjusting the height of a shelf within a domestic appliance guided via at least one pull-out guide. The device has at least one roller rail upon which a shelf can be guided and removed in a pull-out direction, and a height-adjusting mechanism that can be fixed on opposing side walls of the domestic appliance. The height-adjusting mechanism in turn has two arms that are arranged so as to be rotatably fixed to each of the side walls and spaced apart parallel to each other, with a first end parallel to the plane of the side walls. Here, two guide rails can be pivotably fixed to respective second ends of the arms parallel to the plane of the side walls in such a way that the guide rails can be raised from a lower position inside the domestic appliance into a raised, upper position at least partially in front of the domestic appliance. An energy storage device that can be fixed onto at least one of the opposing side walls of the domestic appliance is in operative connection with one of the arms fixed to this side wall in such a way that raising and/or lowering of the guide rails can be assisted by the energy stored in the energy storage device.
Published document EP 2 818 092 A1 discloses a dishwasher that comprises a washing container and at least one crockery basket arranged within the housing. At least one rail is arranged on an inner wall of the housing for the purpose of guiding the at least one crockery basket forwards or backwards within the housing. Furthermore, at least one connecting unit is provided in order that the crockery basket can be raised. Here, at least one auxiliary unit is connected to the connecting unit, so that lift is exerted on the crockery basket.
Published document WO 2014/102367 A1 discloses a dishwasher comprising a washing container and a container door that makes access to the washing container possible, as well as a lower crockery basket and an upper crockery basket in which various objects can be arranged. A holder is provided that is connected to the two side walls of the washing container in such a way that it can be moved into and out of the washing container, both between a horizontal and a vertical position in a front area by means of rotation within a plane parallel to the side walls, and toward the back. The lower crockery basket is displaceable both horizontally by means of the holder and, when positioned vertically within the washing container, can be locked in place, also by means of the holder. Furthermore, a raising mechanism is provided that is arranged on both side walls of the washing container and that enables the holder, together with the lower crockery basket, to move rectilinearly between a lower position on the inner surface of the container door and an upper position that represents the same projection of the lower position on the inner surface of the container door. A drive mechanism works together with the raising mechanism so that the raising mechanism can be both actuated and stopped.
Published document WO 2014/102374 A1 discloses a dishwasher comprising a washing container and a container door that makes access to the washing container possible, as well as a lower crockery basket and an upper crockery basket in which various objects can be arranged. A holder is provided, by means of which the lower crockery basket can be held on the underside when it is moved out of the interior of the washing container via an inner surface of the container door. The holder also enables the lower crockery basket to be released when it is moved into the washing container over the inner surface of the container door. A raising mechanism is also arranged on the inner surface of the container door which, when the container door is opened, can be activated telescopically in a direction perpendicular to the inner surface of the container door, i.e. can be moved inwards and outwards and which, when the container door is closed, remains coplanar with the inner surface of the container door. The raising mechanism thus enables the holder, together with the lower crockery basket, to move rectilinearly between a lower position on the inner surface of the container door and an upper position. A drive mechanism arranged on the inner surface of the container door works together with the raising mechanism so that the raising mechanism can be both actuated and stopped.
Published document EP 1 066 789 A1 discloses a lifting device for a lower crockery basket of a dishwasher. The dishwasher comprises a washing container with a bottom wall, with a rear wall and with a closable container door at the front. The lifting device comprises two pairs of intersecting levers that are linked to one another along a central line. The upper ends of the levers support the lower crockery basket of the dishwasher and the lower ends of the levers can be actuated by at least one telescopic shaft that is supported from below by a toothed rod that extends horizontally along the bottom wall of the washing container and can be controlled by motorized means.
Published document JP 10/179495 A discloses a dishwasher with a washing container with front opening and with a crockery basket that can be arranged in the washing container. The crockery basket is movably arranged on a supporting platform and the supporting platform is embodied in such a way that it can be moved in a vertical direction together with a crockery basket that is arranged on it.
Published documents WO 2005/104924 A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,115,822 A, 6,247,771 A, JP 2000/000201 A, JP 2001/224547 A, JP 2006/141515 A, JP 2006/141516 A and JP 2006/141526 A disclose further devices for raising a lower crockery basket of a dishwasher.
Removal of the lower rack in domestic dishwashers with such a lower-rack raising means is in practice no longer possible because of the fixed connection of the lower rack to the sliding/pivot mechanism. As a result the container bottom of the washing container can only be accessed with difficulty.